BP has appointed Hannah Munns as UK convenience trading director, with a brief to lead growth in the energy company’s grocery and food to go business.
Munns has over two decades of experience with retailers such as M&S, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda, and, says BP, brings ”extensive knowledge and a passion for food” to its UK retail business.
She reports to David Phillpot, BP’s convenience trading director in Europe, and will develop the long-standing partnership with M&S, enhance the branded grocery business and evolve the Wild Bean Cafe offer to meet changing customers’ habits.
She joins as the business develops its seasonal Wild Bean range, with autumnal additions including a cinnamon swirl latte, and cinnamon crunch cookie. Other newcomers include an omelette breakfast bap, and a beef and onion gravy ciabatta.
Also being rolled out are the M&S Gastropub x Tom Kerridge ready-meals, the TV chef’s first-ever retail food product collaboration. The collection is described as ”elevated takes on classic British dishes”.
And for Halloween there is a new line-up of ‘scary’ sweets now instore, including Percy Pig Petrifying Party sweets and M&S Hocus Croakus chocolate toads.
Munns says that she is excited to take up the role at this time of innovation: “We are introducing some fantastic new ranges to BP stores between now and the end of the year including new seasonal favourites like the Wild Bean Cafe cinnamon swirl latte. All of which contribute to BP’s convenience growth strategy and help shape the future of convenience retail in the UK.”
Phillpot says: ”We are thrilled to welcome Hannah to our UK convenience team. Her extensive experience in the retail and hospitality sector, and proven track record of driving growth and transformation, makes her a valuable addition to the convenience team. We are serious about food at BP and I’m excited about the new products Hannah’s team is introducing to our stores, including the M&S Gastropub x Tom Kerridge range, that will help us achieve our aim of being first choice for customers on the roadside.”
BP has a network of over 1,150 branded retail sites in the UK, over 300 of which are company-owned and operated stores with the BP Wild Bean Cafe, M&S Food and branded grocery convenience offer. Convenience is one of BP’s five strategic transition growth engines, along with EV charging, hydrogen, bioenergy, and renewables and power. It aims to double its convenience gross margin with 10% year-on-year growth.
